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Hidden video captures incident in college dorm

A recently released disturbing video has revealed what triggered a lawsuit against Grandview University and six students.

Hidden video captures incident in college dorm

Updated: 9:51 AM CDT Oct 10, 2012

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DES MOINES, Iowa —

A recently released video shows an incident that triggered a lawsuit against Grand View University and six students.

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The surveillance video shows Cameron Fagen, 19, dropped to the floor by classmates, rolled into a piece of carpet, duct taped and propped in a corner on April 12.

The tape is 38 minutes long and is taken from a Grand View University hidden camera inside a common area of Nielson Hall on campus in Des Moines.

It shows students wrapping a cord around Fagen, hitting him repeatedly with a broom stick and eventually rolling him across the floor.

At 12 1/2 minutes into the tape, Fagen fell to the floor and his jaw took the brunt of the blow. Immediately some students started to show concern. Eventually paramedics arrived to treat him.

What happened on the surveillance tape prompted a 10-page lawsuit against Grand View and six students.

Fagen's attorney, Roxanne Conlin, claimed he was targeted because he is "physically smaller" than the other students.

She also said Grand View "failed to take sufficient steps to monitor the common room."

"We really feel we have no negligence in this situation. We were made aware of the situation, responded quickly and appropriately," said Jay Prescott, vice president of student affairs for Grand View.

Prescott said he watched the tape shortly after the April incident and immediately moved to help Fagen and punish the six students.

He said four of the six defendants are no longer on campus. Prescott said two more are not allowed in residence halls. Fagen has since left Grand View.

"We don't want any student treated in a way that would be demeaning or in this situation lead to an injury of this severity. We want to make sure every student feels safe," Prescott said.

An attorney for one of the defendants, Eric Bagby, recently filed a response to the lawsuit.

Bagby denied the charges of assault, battery or bullying Fagen.

At one point in the response, the attorney said the incident was Fagen's "own fault, or greater than 50 percent his fault, as the term fault is used in the Iowa Comparative Fault Statute, and under that statute his friend Eric Bagby bears no legal responsibility for it."